10/02/2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 2026
Clarendon County Fire Rescue Responds to a Multi-Vehicle Incident on Interstate 95
CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C.— Clarendon County Fire Rescue responded Thursday morning to a large multi-vehicle collision on Interstate 95. At approximately 8:50 a.m., units were dispatched to the 100-mile marker on I-95 southbound, for an initial report of a six-vehicle collision. While units were en route, dispatch updated the number of vehicles involved several times. Responders were also advised that one vehicle was on fire.
The incident extended across the Lake Marion bridge between Clarendon and Orangeburg counties. Southbound traffic was at a standstill, forcing some of the first-arriving personnel to stage their vehicles and continue on foot to reach patients and assess the scene. Clarendon County Fire Rescue requested an alternate route for emergency apparatus. Law enforcement temporarily closed the northbound lanes, allowing responding units to travel southbound in those lanes to reach the incident. Personnel who reached the burning vehicle confirmed all occupants were out. Fire apparatus could not reach that area, so personnel used portable fire extinguishers to extinguish the fire.
Approximately 92 vehicles were on the bridge, with 69 involved in the collision. At least two vehicles had confirmed entrapment requiring extrication. A total of 17 patients were transported to McLeod Health Clarendon. Other agencies also transported patients, so Clarendon County Fire Rescue does not have a confirmed total number of patients transported.
The Clarendon County School District provided a bus to transport ambulatory patients to the hospital. Those who were not injured but were stranded on the bridge were taken to a staging area at the nearby rest area. As damaged vehicles were removed, personnel helped return those individuals to their vehicles. No fatalities were reported.
Clarendon County Fire Rescue responded with 3 engines, 1 rescue unit, 4 medic units, 5 department administration vehicles, 1 side-by-side, and more than 20 personnel. Operations concluded at approximately 6:00 p.m. South Carolina Highway Patrol and other agencies remained on scene. The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the collision.